Work on Ukiah storm drain continuing

Crews installing a new storm drain on North Orchard Avenue just north of McDonald's restaurant are back at work this week.

Public Works Director Tim Eriksen said the workers took a break last month during the holiday season because of the number of people expected to be shopping at the nearby Pear Tree Shopping Center and Home Depot.

He said the work should be completed by the "middle of next week."

Drainage from the new right-hand turn lane on East Perkins Street was originally expected to be directed to a new storm drain inlet that would eventually lead the water to the Caltrans right of way. However, Eriksen said Caltrans refused to issue an encroachment permit for the turn-lane project if it included the new storm drain.

Since McDonald's decided to tear down its old restaurant at the corner of East Perkins Street and North Orchard Avenue and build a new one, Eriksen said "we decided it was an opportunity to tap it into the drain system outside of J.C. Penney," explaining that the water will go from the right-turn lane, through McDonald's and down to J.C. Penney.

"The benefit of this solution is that it may handle all of the drainage on Perkins Street to the west that floods the street several times a year during heavy rain events," Eriksen said.

Eriksen said the city talked "McDonald's into changing their drainage pattern and they paid for a portion" of the project.